Bed table attachment



March 13, 1928.

H. c. INNES BED TABLE ATTACHMENT Filed Deo. 9 1926 Inventor J/ Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED surte .Herma rams QF omarmen, .eine

.BED TABLE ATTAGMENT- i Application filed December S, 1936. Serial No. 1-5312.

invention `relates to tables used incon- `junction with beds or the like, for invalidel use, or the use of others who-may desire the use of a table while lying in the bed, as for eating, reading, writing or the like. An object of my invention is to provide a very simple, compact and inexpensiveA device of this charactergin which, by attaching-it to the bed,l the Vcumbersome floor support is eliminated, and, by nialing'the device suit4 ably foldable, it may be brought into post tion over thebed for use or l brought into position under the bed when not .tol be used.

Another object is to make the device. readilyy detachable from the bed, and so as tobe readily folded or `disassembled ier storage.

Further objects are to have the device readi! ly adjustable, as lto heightand inclination of the table or trayyto have'it to loelr in position for use or in its out-oftheway5posi tion without any special attention -from the user, and,by having the struct-ure of asini-ple nature andV readily' swung into various positions, to permit the device-to bekept clean with littlev labor, as vwell as to present no obstruction to the malring up Vand cleaning of the bed on whiehit is installed. Other objects will appear inthe course ofthe-following description.

I attainthese objects bythe device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawing, in Which` Y Fig. l is a partial end elevation oit -a bed with my inver-itionl applied thereto, the `device being shown by dotted lines in partially folded position;

Fig. 2y is a partial side elevation of the same, the device being shown-by dotted lines in a further folded position and Fig. 3 is a detail 'perspective view of the bracket.

The -bed is represented only by one oztits rails l with its inner slatfsupporting strip 2, along wittha conventional ,representation of a set of springs VSand a mattressfl supported thereon; it being understood that I have chosen for purpose ofthe-present example, a woodenlbedpin which the rail 1 `and strip Zare of wood.

`My table attachment comprises a bracket 5 ofwL-shaped cross-section (Fig. 3) ofwhich the upper horizontal member-is attachedto theV lower edge of the rail 1 and strip screws 6 passing up through openings: in this member'. The-vertical member extends-y down at the inner edge of .the uppermem ber, `and has a `boss 8 through which is an opening 9, nearrits` left hand end. `N ear the middle of the gtrontedge oi'lthe upper memberltwo lugs l0 extend dow-n; and-in the4 right hand end of the vertical member is a recess l1 somewhat belowithe level of Vthe opening 9. y

yThe standardk l2 is of angle-bar cross# section, y with two f bosses` 13 and 1 l within the angle of cross-section, one 4at the top-end andthe other some distanceidown therefrom; these bosses having vertically -alined openings, andy the upper boss having a set screw ltappedyinto its vopening'from` the side of the standard yover next tothe bed. On thelower end of this standard 12 an ear' 16 extends inward `and .is pivoted tothe eye of' an eye bolt'l `that is journaled in the opening 9 of the bracket 5. Y These parts are so proportioned and located that when the standard is upright the `upper edgeof the ear 16 fits tightly between thelugs vl() of thebracket,butwhen the standard is swung down to a 4horizontal position,` as permitted by the I bolt 17 turning inthe openingt),` and `swung',inilnder the bed, ytransversely thereof, as permitted by its pivotal connection with the I bolt, the part o1 the standard adjacent to the upperedge of its ear 16 engages tightly in the recess 11 of the bracket. The I boltl isheld in place by anut 18 screwed onto a reducedrear extension ofthe bolt, behindthe bearing boss of thebracket. The nut 18 thus locks against the shoulder thusfformed on the bolt, but permits the bolt to turn easily in the openingf'f.

The tabletop ortray 19`hasf'ixed yon its lower s urface'two clips 2O and `2l, the latter having a lset-screwQQ tapped into it. The rod 23,"bentintoy L shapefhas one member through the clips 2O and 2 1 and theother member inserted down through thebosses 13 and 14- of the standard 12j By means of the set screw I15,this ,rod maybe clamped at various height-s in the standard 12, and bymeans ofthe set screw-22 thetable top or loo be clamped at various inclinatray 19 may of the.

tions around the horizontal member rod 23.

rl`hus, when the standard 12 is vertical the top or tray 19 is held over the bed as shown by the full lines in Figs. l and 2; the weight of the latter pulling the standard l2 over toward the bed and the more irmly engaging the upper edge of the ear 1G between the lugs 10, which prevent the standard and tray from falling sidewise, longitudinally of the bed. Also, by fitting tightly between these lugs 10, these parts are held so as not to shake or be accidentally thrown out away from the bed.

To bring the device out ot the way, under the bed, the tray and standard lil are swung laterally outward to about the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l; hingingon the pivotal connection with the eye bolt 1T. This brings the ear 1G out from between the lugs l0, and the device now may be swung downward lengthwise of the bed, hinging by the turning," of the eye bolt 1T in the bracket opening t). Before this downward swinging, however, the tray l) is turned on the rod 23, which now is vertical, until this tray is at right angles to the length of the bed. llhen when the. parts are swung down as just nientioned, this tray will be horizontal; these positions ot the parts being,r indicated by the dotted lilies in Fig. 2. The disposition of the device is completed now by swinging the standard l2 again on its pivotal connection with the eye bolt 17 until the standard extends transversely under the bed, and, engaging in the recess l1 of the bracket 5 is held from droping down as would be permitted by the turning,Y of the eye bolt 17in the opening t). rlhe standard thus supports the rod 23 and tray 1t) in horizontal position under the bed; the tray being inverted and under the rod.

lt will be seen that it is necessary to disturb only one adjustment of the device, that ol the tray set .screw 522, in putting it out of the way under the bed; all other movements being permitted by virtue ot' the construction olf the bracket, eye bolt and standard, and the lockingjr olf the parts in either position being etlfccted by the saine means without special attention of the user. On account of the in 7ard extension of the ear lt Vfrom the standard, to pivotin under the bed rail, the device is entirely in past the outer surface of the bed rail when put away, so as not to interfere with making up the bed nor present an unsightly appearance. The flexibility of the device as a whole makes it easy to keep it as well as the bed parts clean, and when under the bed the device is Vfar enough up from the lloor readily to admit a suction cleaner or the like for cleaningT the floor under the bed. The entire device may be removed from the bed by removing;l the screws (3; but it more convenient merely to remove the nut 1,8 and withdraw the eye bolt 1T along with the standard and supported parts, leaving the bracket 5 screwed to the bed rail. Various beds may be provided with brackets 5, and the device may thus conveniently be applied to any one of the beds. When taken from a bed, it may be stored in a small space il the tray 1S) is turned into the saine plane as the standard l2; and for packing', the rod 223 may be disconnected lroni the tay lt) and standard l2 and laid around a corner ot the tray; the standard and bracket attached thereto, being laid alongside the tray and rod. Thus' the device may be packed snugly in a llat. box or package, and may be assembled very easily by an unskilled person, upon a slight amount ol instruction. Likewise as to the attachment of the device to the bed, merely involvinpl the insertion ol two rather large wood screws. 'llo attach the device, to metal beds, bolts may be substituted, with holes formed in the metal rail ol the bed; or the bracket may be made with a suitable clamp to engage the metal rail.

Such moditications as the above, as well as others, may occur in practice, and tht-ri tore, l do not wish to be understood as beini,r limited to the precise disclosure here in, but what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a bed table attachment, a table element, a standard to which said table element is connected, a bracket of L-shaped cross-section to be attached to the lower edge of a bed rail by one member ot its crosssection which is horizontal, with the other member vertical and in from the outer edge of the rail, an eye bolt turniiner in said vertical member on an axis at right angles lo the rail, :said standard havingr an ear extended inward and pivoted to said eye bolt, and said standard extending upward past the outer :side of the rail, means on said bracket horizontal meniber between which said car engages when said standard extends upward as aforesaid, and means on .said bracket vertical meniber between which said standard engages when swung: down into a horizontal plane by turning oi' said eye bolt, and inward on said plane by turning of said standard on said eye bolt.

i2. ln a device of the character described, a bracket of L-shaped :ross-section, having an upper horizontal member with means for attaclnnent ot said lnacket upwardly to an object and with downwardly opening means near the 'free edge oi said upper member, and havinga vertical member with a journal opening near one end and outwardly opening means near the opposite end of said vertical member, an eye bolt journaled in said journal opening, and a standard havlut) llt)

ing an opening near one end for admitting a supported obJeet lengthwise of the standard, and having an offset ear near its opposite end, pivoted to said eye bolt.

3. In a bed table attachment, a table element, a bracket to be attached to a lower part of a bed, a iiieinbei' turning on said bracket on an axis substantially transverse to the bed, and a standard connected to said table element and turning on said mem- 10 ber on an axis at right angles to the afore mentioned axis, said bracket having suraces bed and the other of which is engaged by 15 said standard to hold said standard in aV lowered position under the bed.

HARRY C. INNES. 

